BARBERSHOPS and hair salons will stay shut during the conditional movement control order (CMCO) period, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.

He said they will only be allowed to open after the National Security Council (NSC) and the Health Ministry have prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) for them to implement in efforts against the spread of Covid-19.

“They are not allowed to open for business. We are preparing the SOP for them. I believe the Health Ministry will work with the NSC on this, but the matter has not been discussed at the ministers’ special meeting.

“So, these services remain in the prohibited list, and can’t be done anywhere, including house calls,” he said during his daily media briefing at Putrajaya today.

This sector has remained closed since the MCO was announced on March 18.

The government did say they could resume operations on April 10 but that was revoked almost immediately after objections were raised by the Health Ministry and the barbers’ associations.

The Malaysian Insight yesterday reported various groups representing the sector as being hopeful that Putrajaya would give them the green light to resume business, with conditions, after June 9 when the CMCO ends.

Professional Hairdressing Skills Development Association president Khaljaksa Amin said they had raised the matter in a meeting between government officials and hairdressing associations on Wednesday.

“The International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) has promised us a decision on June 9.

“We have also received a reply letter from Miti and our letter has reached the prime minister. We are awaiting this June 9 for the announcement,” he said.

Khaljaksa added that the meeting discussed guidelines prohibiting children under 12 and customers over the age of 80 from being served at barbershops and hair salons. – June 1, 2020.